Location: Escanaba, MI - 1903 C&NW Ore Dock #6

Type: Timber

Built: 1903, Rebuilt in 1924.

Operated for 66 years.

Owner: Chicago & North Western Railroad

Length: 1,920 feet

Height Above Water: 70 feet

Pockets: 320 pockets

Ended: 1969

Notes

This is the last timber dock on the Great Lakes. The total tonnage capacity of 80,000 tons makes it the largest of the three ore docks in the State of Michigan. [IOR]

The pelletization process of ore after the 1950's resulted in fire risk for wooden ore docks, such as No. 6. MILW pellets from Randville were often quite hot after the roasting process. The C&NW set up heat sensing devices to determine their temperature before unloading. If a block of cars were too hot, they were set aside until after cooling. [ION]

In winter, the ore or pellets often froze in the cars. The C&NW erected electrically powered heating sheds prior to unloading. [ION]

Time Line

1891. Escanaba's new ore docks, begun by the Schlesinger mining interests but now controlled by the Northwestern railroad contains 132 pockets and have a capacity of about 40,000 tons. Between 5,000,000 and 6,000,000 feet of lumber was used in the work. The construction of the docks was delayed through Schlesinger's financial drawbacks. [DD-1891-0627]

1939. This dock has electrically operated spout hoists. [EFP-1107]

1968. In its last year of operation, Ore Dock #6 moved 5.1 million tones of ore, down slightly from the year before. The dock will "come down" after it is replaced by a conveyor type structure, planned for the 1969 season. Dock #6 is built of the "iron ore Gothic" stype. [EDP-1968-1107]